Best Media Players for Android in 2026

The ranking

1. 1
   

   VLC media player

   Plays nearly any audio or video format on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android, and it is free and open source under GPL-2.0. It does not serve a library to other devices.

   Best for Playing almost any file on any computer

   WindowsmacOSLinuxiOSAndroid·Free and open source·Open source

   91.5of 100

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2. 2
   

   Plex

   Streams a personal library to phones and browsers with free movies and live channels available too. Plex Pass is paid for premium features, and the code is closed.

   Best for Streaming a home library to phones and browsers

   WebWindowsmacOSiOSAndroidSelf-hosted·Free plan, paid upgrades

   89.0of 100

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3. 3
   

   Jellyfin

   Free software media server with no subscription, streaming to web and Android clients from your own hardware. Setup and maintenance fall on the user, which makes it harder to start than Plex.

   Best for A free, self-hosted library with no vendor account

   WebAndroidSelf-hosted·Free and open source·Open source

   87.5of 100

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4. 4
   

   Kodi

   Free home theater software that plays local files and add-on content on Android, Windows, macOS and Linux. Add-on quality varies, and it is a player rather than a server.

   Best for A home theater setup on a TV or media box

   WindowsmacOSLinuxiOSAndroid·Free and open source·Open source

   84.0of 100

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5. 5
   

   Emby

   A personal media server that streams your own video, music, photos and live TV to phones, TVs and consoles. Premiere adds mobile downloads and hardware transcoding, and Jellyfin in this list is the open-source option.

   Best for Households with their own video and music library

   AndroidiOSWindows·Free plan, paid upgrades

   83.0of 100

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